Poor visibility is a serious problem for pedestrians in environments closely shared with vehicular traffic. Exposure to traffic can be an occupational or a recreational hazard, and is an experience shared by nearly everyone on a daily basis. The difficulty of maneuvering oneself safely on foot in a roadway is well known to police officers, firefighters, construction workers, and the occasionally stranded motorist. The danger of being struck by a vehicle is increased tremendously under conditions of poor visibility, and such conditions frequently are attributable to weather as well as darkness of night. For this reason, poor visibility in traffic is a hazard common to schoolchildren and other usual daytime pedestrians, as well as to the large number of fitness minded persons who have taken up jogging or cycling in recent years and who can find time to do so only in the evening hours.
Attempts to increase pedestrian visibility have involved the use of brightly colored article of clothing, and the use of reflectors on or incorporated into clothing.
The problem with brightly colored articles of clothing as a safety measure is primarily the reluctance of most people to wear them. For example, the well known orange vests worn by utility or construction personnel are considered prohibitively unsightly for general use and thus are strictly limited in their application. Conspicuously bright colors alone are impractical as features of even recreational clothing for which many consider fashion as important as utility. Even when worn dutifully, brightly colored safety clothing serves only to distinguish the wearer from other visible objects, and offers little or no protection in conditions of darkness.
The problem with reflectors as safety features is that visibility in a darkened environment is provided only when a beam of light is directed against the reflective surface. This arrangement may not be sustained sufficiently, if at all, for a motorist to identify a pedestrian in time to take evasive action. Furthermore, a mere reflection alone cannot convey a sense of alarm as may be desired by a stranded motorist or other person wishing to attract attention and assistance.
A disadvantage common to both reflectors and bright colors is that both types of safety accessories are limited to the associated article of clothing, and cannot be adapted for use with pets or other objects requiring conspicuous visibility in darkened environments.
Known safety accessories for increasing pedestrian visibility are thus seen to fail to enable effective visibility continuously under conditions of darkness, and lack universal appeal in occupational, recreational, or other circumstances calling for enhanced visibility of the wearer.